Friday, November 19, 2010

Max and the fly swatter...

For hours of fun, all we have to do is give Max the fly swatter. He will attempt to get things off the counter, swat the walls, chase his brother and more recently:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n1J19sWPVK0

Sincerely,
The Buffs

Saturday, October 23, 2010

October Fun



In October, the weather finally starts to get cooler in Georgia, well sort of... Some parts of the U.S., are already receiving temperatures of 32 degrees and even snow. Here, you might have to wear a sweater when you leave the house in the morning and by afternoon, it's time for short sleeves! Still I love Georgia, and October is a good month because the days start getting shorter (ew) and the weather starts getting cooler (yay!)
Thadeus and Max having fun riding the "big green tractor" as Thadeus calls it.




Max's first ear of corn....and I had a hard time prying it from his hands!


Yes, there's Jerime and Thadeus in a FERRIS WHEEL. I could not believe it. This was the very first time Jerime and I had taken a trip to the Georgia National Fair. It's kinda funny to me because our Health District (Houston County Environmental Health is included) regulates all the food booths among other sanitary requirements for the event. In the almost six years I've worked for the North Central Health District, I've been invited to assist or observe the food booth permitting and inspections, and always opted out. This year I did not visit as an inspector either. Since Thadeus was finally old enough to handle a long HOT day, we decided to go. It was a LOT of fun. We did, in fact, dress Thadeus in a long sleeved shirt and before we got into the park all the way, had to roll his sleeves up. It was so hot. He saw the Ferris Wheel and was ready to go. Jerime and I took turns riding rides with Thadeus. I could handle that--as I really never liked all the adult rides....



There they are...my goodness.


Here we are waiting on the "roller coaster." P.S. I never rode a real roller coaster until I met Jerime. The summer of 2005 was the first time I ever rode a roller coaster. I really don't care for them...but this one, I could handle.




An exotic petting zoo was at the Georgia National Fair. He loved the giraffes!




The next weekend, GeeGee and I took the kids to The Rock Ranch. It was pretty awesome. The best time to go is when they have the balloon glow. During the day you can ride the hot air balloons. Don't worry, they are tethered to the ground. At night they have the balloon glow--I can't wait to experience that. This is a great place for children. Ages 3 and under get in free. For $14 per person, it really can be an all day event. There are a lot of fun things to do...a must see. Here is a photo of Thadeus and Maximillion at The Rock Ranch pumpkin patch!


Pony Rides!


Time for snacks.


At 3pm the balloons were up. No rides for us this year...


GeeGee and the kids.


Pretty.



This weekend mama and I visited Twin Oaks. It's off Johnsonville Road. A little less exciting than the Rock Ranch but there is a stellar play ground there. Here are the long stemmed pumpkins they picked out for themselves....


The baby pumpkin patch.



Max can pick these up!



Meme and the kids.
Tomorrow we hope to carve our pumpkins....then next weekend we get to play dress up in our costumes as we go trick or treating at family homes ....a blast. A great way to enjoy family and be thankful.


Tuesday, September 21, 2010

Another tooth

Max got a third tooth today! A top one! (top left) or the left maxillary central incisor, to be exact. Anyway, it is awesome!

Thursday, September 2, 2010

Prayer

So, our routine right before bed with Thadeus is to read a book, then a bible story and then we pray.
Tonight, I started prayer as usual with, "Dear Jesus, Thank you for..."

I didn't even get to finish the sentence...as Thadeus completed it with "...sandwiches."

I thought that was the cutest thing ever.

Oh, and I might add that...just because we tell him it is bed time and have this routine--bedtime may actually be two hours later. So, even though I tuck him in at 8 or 8:30--some nights he fights and fights it...up and down...can I go pee-pee mama.....up again down again...and by 10:30 we are nodding off and are awaken by his clunking around in his room....but never the less--he does go to sleep eventually.

There is a really good article on this subject from Baby Center:


Why preschoolers resist bedtime:
If you're like most parents, you're all too familiar with this scenario: You put your preschooler to bed at 8:30 at night, hugging and kissing her and wishing her sweet dreams. It's been a long day, but still the dinner dishes await, you have bills to pay, the dog needs to be walked and the cat fed, and you haven't had a spare moment to put your feet up. But instead of spending the rest of the evening catching up on your chores and clocking some precious time with your partner, you're in and out of your child's room, cajoling her to sleep. She finally nods off — about three hours after she first went to bed.Take heart: Bedtime can be rough for a preschooler. On the one hand, she's learning to assert herself and her newfound independence (hence the jack-in-the-box action on her bed). On the other hand, she's fearful of what it means to be on her own. "Fighting sleep is a way to take control, but it's also a way to stave off fears that come with the night," says Jodi A. Mindell, associate professor of psychology at St. Joseph's University in Philadelphia and the author of Sleeping Through the Night. Monsters under the bed, boogiemen in the closet, thunderstorms, bugs — those are pretty scary things to deal with when you're all alone in the dark!

What you can do about bedtime battles
Set aside some time to talk to your child about her day. Your preschooler may be fighting sleep simply because she needs time to check in with you at the end of her day. Especially if you work long hours yourself, allot some time before bed to chat with her about goings-on at preschool and to get the scoop on the latest dramas in her social life. You may find that she's more amenable to sleep if she's had a chance to unburden herself.Stick to a bedtime routine. Make a pictorial chart for your preschooler to follow — including her bath, teeth brushing, bedtime story, and goodnight kiss. Also include her usual (and reasonable) requests — like that second sip of water or a peek at the moon. Give her some notice before it's time to start the routine each night ("Sophie, five minutes before bath time!"). Try not to let her dawdle, or drag things out with activities that aren't part of the ritual — no third glass of water or round of "Baby Beluga," for instance.Motivate her. When your preschooler goes to bed on time, the rewards for you are obvious. Make it clear what's in it for her too. The morning after she sticks with the routine, praise her and give her a sticker to put on a special chart. Offer her a reward — like a new book or a visit to her favorite playground — once she stays in bed three nights in a row. (Start small — for a preschooler, a few days is a long time to hang in there!)Offer choices. Refusing to go to bed is a powerful way for your child to assert herself. So it might help to find an acceptable means of allowing her to be assertive. Let her decide whether she wants to hear Silverstein poems or a Ranger Rick story before lights-out, for instance, or ask her if she'd like a sip of water before or after she climbs into bed. Be careful to offer only choices you can live with; if you ask "Want to go to bed now?" you probably won't like the answer you get.Be calm but firm. Even if your preschooler cries or pleads for an exception to the going-to-bed rule, stand your ground. If you're frustrated, don't engage in a power struggle. Speak calmly and quietly but insist that when time's up, time's up. If you give in to her request for "five more minutes, please," you'll only hear it again tomorrow night.Teach your preschooler to fall asleep alone. If your child depends on you to stay with her while she falls asleep, now's a good time to encourage her to doze off on her own. You might give her some incentive by promising to check on her in five minutes. Reassure her that she's safe and that you're nearby.Take the stepladder to success. You can't expect your child to learn, in one fell swoop, how to go to bed and sleep all night according to your perfect scenario. Take it one step at a time: If your preschooler's used to falling asleep in your bed, maybe her first step is to fall asleep in her own. Her second step could be learning to limit her nocturnal "escapes" to one per night, or calling for you only once without actually getting up. Build your way to the ultimate goal (sleeping through the night without a peep) in successive, successful steps.Problem solve. Figure out why your preschooler finds it tough to keep her head on the pillow at night. Ask about her specific objections to bedtime — is it because she's not tired? Scared? It's too quiet? Offer her a flashlight if she's afraid of the dark. Eliminate nighttime TV if the shows make her jumpy. Let her drift off to recorded lullabies if the quiet is too much. And be sure to listen to her ideas about what might be helpful. After all, a plan that she helps devise has a better chance of succeeding.Make sure your preschooler's getting lots of fresh air and exercise during the day too. If she still has a very early bedtime, it might be contributing to her lack of sleepiness at night (at this age, kids need a total of 10 to 12 hours of sleep), so you might consider moving bedtime back an hour. Some physical activity and a slight schedule change may be all it takes to ensure that your child is good and tired when bedtime rolls around.

Saturday, August 21, 2010

Maximillion-one year checkup

You can see his first bottom two teeth...love this.

Look at me....here I come.




Thadeus love his books.


This past Friday was Max's one year checkup...yes, the pediatrician was soooo booked it took over a month to see him. Apparantly, July marks a very busy time of year for school vaccinations so we were put off...I'll remember that in another three years!!!! I hope.



All and all Max did very well. Found out that his little man area had to be tackled a little bit and that was not comfortable for him...but he is doing well now. I feel so horrible. I had let his "mushroom" close up a little bit. I guess Jerime never noticed it either. Now I'm sure he wouldn't appreciate this post but I just felt so bad. I mean, the first thing I thought when I was told I was having a boy the first time was...what in the heck am I going to do with that extra part? And it is funny looking back because when Thadeus was born, my mama looked at Thadeus all naked and said, "what in the world are we going to do with that little thing?" And hey, she had a point...she had had three girls. My sister had a girl. My cousin had a girl so we had no clue. But you definitely get schooled before you leave the hospital. Thanks goodness. But how in the world did I let this happen to poor Max? I dunno. But it is all fixed now. Geez, that nurse did her thing to fix it and I was like, "wow, what a woman!" I told her that I was sooo sorry and I didn't know how I let that happen. She explained that it is very common and not to worry and just to make sure he always has that mushroom and the mushroom has a top! LOL

He had four shots, two in each leg. It was so hard to have him happy one minute and then the next, looking at me like, "mama, what in the world did you let her do that for?" Poor baby. But once all in and out, he was fine. He is a whopping 21 lbs 11 oz; but I think he lost weight since he's been walking. I thought they would tell me he was average weight and height but come to find out he is a little below average in height at 30 inches and in the 17 percentile for weight... Now, I looked at the doc and said, "what, how can it be that he is in the 17th percentile? What does this mean?" My first pediatricain never talked percentile terms so these statistics have baffled me. It means he is way below average, duh, for weight. AND I thought he was a CHUNK myself. I mean, if Max is in the 17th percentile then Thadeus must have been in the 2nd percentile!! I love Uncle Kirby's description of Thadeus. One day he was watching Thadeus run around the room like crazy and Thadeus came up to Uncle Kirby wanting to wrestle and he was a tough little two and a half year old then. Kirby said, "man, this kid is a piece of grissle. I would be a nervous wreck and need anxiety medicine if I had to take care of him!!! You see, they have a girl. She is just a sweet little petite princess. Calm and cool. Anyway, the doc categorized my Max a lean baby??? What??? He is healthy and doing well. EXCEPT...

Well, except that at his one year "well-check" visit, he was not well. He had been cranky for three or four days and when I say cranky, I mean, lay-himself-in-the-kitchen-floor-screaming-the-whole-time-I-made-dinner cranky. I mean you really should not cook and hold a baby even if you are tempted when he is flinging about on the floor like crazy, wanting you to hold him...just not safe. And because I know this, I let him twitch on the floor--I mean, Mama has to do what mama has to do. Which brings me to this funny story...

When Max was born, well several weeks afterward, I found myself wanting to hold this precious thing ALL the time. My sister, Heather, and I rode to Target in hopes to find a nice baby sling. I found one and just loved it. It was cloth and very comfortable for mama. Baby fits in and lays almost like in mommy's tummy--they sleep so well in them while you go shopping or clean house or whatever. Well, the first thing my sister says to me is--"now Christine, you cannot wear this while cooking." "What," I said, "what do you mean??? I would never do that!!!!" Well she knew me all too well....but I didn't wear it while cooking...I was good.

Anyway, so yes, he had been cranky. I said, "can you look in his throat to make sure he looks alright...I mean, since he has been cranky and all." I thought it was related to the fact that he was teething. I mean he is trying to get four of them boogers at one time... and come to find out the poor thing has TWO EAR INFECTIONS. Now, wierd. I mean I bet I took Thadeus to the pediatrician at least once per month the whole first year of his life, and Max...almost never. I had no idea that he had that dang ear infection, or should I say ear infectionS. Ugh. No mother award for me this month. So, left the pediatrician with four shots, antibiotic for ten days, decongestant, and ear drops for pain. So much for the well-visit! Oh, and thank you, Tylenol, for RECALLING ALL OF THE INFANTS TYLENOL AND MOTRIN. Ok, glad I got that off my chest. There are some things you just don't want to buy generic and infant tylenol is one of them. I have no reason, it's just for some reason I feel like a better mom for spending the extra money on medicine if I don't buy off brand. EXCEPT that all of the infant's tylenol and motrin has been on recall. And, you are required to give them the meds every four hours for the first 24 hours after shots to reduce fever...so I had to buy, ugh, yes, generic. I bought the Little Fevers brand. It has worked great and I may buy it from now on...lol.

We are officially moving the baby seats out now. Max is too heavy for the infant travel seat so Max is getting Thadeus' seat and now Thadeus gets an awesome booster seat. He is such a big boy!!! He just smiles everytime you put him in that seat. The thing is, with two working parents, you buy two...yep, two infant seats, and two booster seats. Totally worth it but just a thought.


Wow, you know, my car used to be big. Now, I look at it and it is soooo weird. In a matter of only 34 months, I went from big clean car to unclean non-roomy-mommy car. We waited five years before having children and we went from it is all about me (us) to.....
BETTER.


And I must say this. There is nothing in the world better than the love of these little people. I thought I loved until I had my children and now I know how much my mama loves me.






Monday, July 26, 2010

More teething, really?

Can it be possible that more teeth are coming??? Well probably so when you are one year old and only have two teeth...
The nights have been rough lately..then come to find out all the Infant's Motrin and Infant's Tylenol have been recalled!
Maybe he will sleep through the night tonight.

Mama be so tired!

Monday, July 19, 2010

Second Tooth-Max

Max's second tooth popped through! So cute!
He's been quite irritable. LOL

Saturday, July 17, 2010

sleeping baby/pool fun


Have you ever wondered....what makes a baby sleep through the night?


That is a crazy question, no doubt...but when Max started sleeping through the night at six weeks, I used to sit there and just watch him breathe and think...hmmm, what makes him sleep through the night just like an adult? I mean, he is, afterall, only six WEEKS old....what????


okay, I must be tired.


Today Jerime went fishing with Uncle Kirby, Melissa's hubby. I met up with her and we took the kids swimming.


It was soooo much fun. Thadeus got so brave and was jumping in with just the swimmies. Then we took rides on the golf cart...as Makinzie and Thadeus referred to the woods as THE JUNGLE! LOL So stinking cute!


Mama, or Meme, had to paint a room in her house since the twins moved off to college... she has decided to move into what used to be my old room...it is bigger and all... Makinzie said, You can do that later meme! OMG, so funny. She is 3 and so cute when her words come out. She calls me Critine. So cute. She just loved playing with me and Thadeus was so funny b/c he would say, MY MAMA! LOL...just cracks me up.


Friday, July 16, 2010

Rough week...

What can I say? A LOT! What a rough week! Yes, yes, I would love to have the patience and ability to be a stay at home mom or even a part time worker but with the career I have, that is almost impossible and with the economy the way it is, geez, who knows, I could be the primary bread winner. I hope it doesn't come to that but who knows what the good Lord has in store for us and one cannot assume anything so, I work hard, live life in the fast line and just try to survive. You know what makes it better? Being able to pray, meditate, talk to my besties and see my sweet babies at the end of the day--and it's even more better when the weekend gets here.
As a working mom, life sucks sometimes. I LOVE my job. I feel like I help protect the life of the Public through education and regulation. I love the way I have problem solving and have the knowledge of environment protection. Then there are days when I'm like...um, can I pleeeze stay home? It is a catch 22. By working I am providing more money for the future--and not for myself but for my children. At the same time, I am sacrificing that time with them....however, please note that by not having that all day contact with them, I REALLY enjoy the time I have with them when I do get home too....hmm, I'm using this blog as therapy today. I am thankful I have the gift of being able to multi-task...
Why did this week suck, you may ask? Well for starters....let me say this....
My boss retired in December 2009; therefore I have been given the task of not only doing my job (which is really slow) but also covering for the Director's position. I was solo for about four weeks but the State finally approved a temporary position for my boss to come back and help which has been just awesome. It is always good to be able to bounce your ideas off someone who has been doing the job for 30 years! There are good days and bad days and I don't know what to call the following--maybe just call me crazy. I decided, when his old position opened and was listed on the job market, to apply! Yep, I actually applied for the position. It is an opportunity for advancement but also a greater challenge professionally. With it comes the extra resposibilites but I must love stress, time managment, prioritization and blah, blah, blah.
The interview was today....but boy what a week it has been.
First of all, Monday started with a bang. Several projects going on--beginning with a conference call regarding a well water study that began in 2009. The conference call, you guessed it, ended up with some work that would be great but time consuming as I am a perfectionist--probably more of a weakness than a strength. Among other items, finished the day--with the background duties going on, the whole time I'm worrying about the interview.
Tuesday-car breaks down on I75. Yep, nice eh. I actually thought, what is happening, discovered that, yes, the car is no longer able to accelerate and um, yeah time to pull over across the one lane of passers by that apparently did not care if they died or not....get a grip people--you are in a car that is somewhat but not totally in your control ....I pulled over. I have wonderful co-workers....thank you guys. Two, then three, folks came to help me out. The timing belt went stripped. Yep, that involved a tow, and parts and labor. $480 bucks later, I am the proud owner of a car with a new timing belt, water pump, A/C belt, and P/S belt. I can handle that--heck, the car was manufactured in 2002--she was due.
Wednedsay involved some crazy work stuff, more interview prep and worrying, bla bla bla. Thursday--hell day. Still trying to finish my well water letters, due yesterday, but still had other stuff just getting in my way--however, still fun, exciting, etc. Finally Friday came; interview at 2pm. I almost made it to the interstate about 11 miles from home when spash, water coming out from the hood....oh, no! The temp gage sky rocketed and yep, ended up on the side of High Falls Park Road in the parking lot of an abandoned church yard. Busted radiator. Here I am decked out in my black dress, heels, etc...lifting the hood to find out what the heck was going on....my ex-boss was a life saver...took me to work and so here I was....Jerime was there the whole time too--just remotely as he had a meeting himself and had to get the kids to daycare...
Interview time came and went. It was a wonderful experience and who knows what their selection will be--but what a crazy week. I was so tired that the hair appointment I made for a cut and color ended up being just a quick cut--I was just too exhausted to sit in that chair a whole hour for the color....hair dresser was ok with my decision...I don't think I let her down too bad. So I get home to my family after hell week. Then, what bad timing for me, but I could tell that the grandparents wanted little Thadeus to spend the night and I don't think he has spent the night since 2007 or so...wow. I cannot help that I am that way. I am though. I love my precious children so much...they are, after all, my life. I cried for about 30 minutes after he left, smiling as he left. I thought, is he missing me? Does he love me? Why was he so willing to leave me, when I have worked so hard all week just to be there long enough for short play time, meal time. I don't think some mothers go through the same withdrawal that I do. I hate feeling that way. But, I love them soooooo much. I am glad I let him go though. All I do is think of my little Thadeus. What did I gain out of the sleepover situation? I got to spend precious one on one time with my little Max. He is learning so much still and growing so fast. He is my little snuggle bug. We played, walked with his walker and then came bath time. He was so cute and I actually got him on video telling me "bye, bye"--such a blessing. I still think about Thadeus as he sleeps about four miles from me--and cannot wait until I see him in the morning. He is after all my first born. I could not imagine losing a child...b/c when he left to spend the night, my heart hurt so bad. I love that little booger so much.
Sweet dreams Thadeus, mommy loves you.

Sunday, July 4, 2010

There is a new fan!

Okay, Okay...now I think this is the most hilarious thing ever. Am I getting old??? I remember sitting around the dinner table when I was like 8 or 9 and hearing my mom, grand-mother, great-grandmother and aunts talking about..."you know, I remember when..."
It really used to trip me out. I was like, well, I will never be that old that I will say, I remember when...
Now I have a few and most recently while watching my MOST FAV channel ever, the food network...found a new one. Here are some... and I feel like there must be much more!
1) I remember when my mom's car had an 8 track!
2) I remember slap wrist bracelets and tight roll jeans!
3) I remember NKOTB and Vanilla Ice! LOL and when my older friends gave me the MilliVanilli tape after the infamous lip synching tradedy...
4) I remember tape and getting my first cd's.
5) I remember when tye dye was actually sooo cool.
6) I remember VHS tapes!
7) I remember when my mom had a bag mobile phone in the minivan.
8) I remember getting my first cell phone in college.
9) I remember buying our first dvd player!
10) I remember dial up internet and taking and exam at UGA--and failing because the line kicked me off.
11) And what will be my newest addition to this list...I remember when fan blades existed on fans!
Have you seen the new dyson fan? I think the designer says something a foil the air travels over so that you don't get the disturbance the other design created! I'm going to have to get me one of those!!!! LOL
Happy Fourth!

Wednesday, June 30, 2010

Max's First Tooth

Work has been hell this week but do you know what is like the most awesomest thing ever???? I get home and Jerime says, why don't you take a look inside Max's mouth. "WHAT, I said...WHAT, WHAT, WHAT????" I look at Max and he smiled so big at me. I felt in there and he knew it was such a big deal! I held him and jumped up and down and said, "Max, you have a toothie!" I said it over and over, tears streaming, and he knew it was such an accomplishment because he laughed and laughed.

I think it is so amazing. This little fella is just growing up! I mean, I realize most kids have their first teeth by four or six months, and I know my little boy is almost a year old, but I still think it so amazing.

I thank God everyday for my babies and my sweet hubby.

Saturday, March 13, 2010

Leaping Lizards







"So, come on Thadeus. Mom and Daddy are going to take you to Leaping Lizards", says mama.
We just about walked out the door when seconds before, CRACK! Yep, our first broken window! Nice.
As we ride in the car...
"Where we going mama?"
"Leaping Lizards, Thadeus."
"Where we going daddy?"
"Leaping Lizards, son."
"Where we going mama?"
"Leaping lizards..."

"Where we going, mama...."
I looked at Daddy and said,
"Thadeus, where are we going?"
Thadeus looked at me and said...
"The Aligator Store?"
Yes, Thad that's close enough....
Last weekend was a blast. So much that, we took him there today too. It's a great place for a kid to blow off some steam when the weather has been as raunchy as it has been....





Wednesday, January 13, 2010

nothing sweeter....

There is nothing sweeter than when you drive home after a long day at work, pick up the kids, look in the rear-view mirror to find your sweet little three year old holding the hand of his baby brother.

Friday, January 8, 2010

six months old...

Today, daycare closed due to the snow. Yes, the daycare director told me they would post if it closed on the local news...I checked all night and early in the morning. Nothing. So I decided to leave the house when Jerime did, just in case. I mean, I'd rather be late to work than go all the way to Macon and have to turn around. I got half-way to the interstate and he called. They are closed. Ugh. So I got some time with my children as I worked from home....nice, eh? I love every precious minute I get to spend with them.

Thadeus decided to smear poo in his room while I was feeding Max this morning. I walked in and was blown away with the smell. I look at him and he as naked..? Then I notice about 10 pairs of little boy underwear all over the place. Yep, okay. So, he pulled off the pullup full of poo and then decided he would try all of his underwear on--it was a stinky mess and I think my washing machine is cursing me from the wash.

Thadeus got a hair cut and it is so cute.

Max is six months old today. Mom was holding him as I walked in--Tiffany and Mom watched Max while Heather and I took Thadeus to get a hair cut. It took 40 minutes!!! Well, so I walked in and Meme was holding Max. He saw me and just started squeeling. Then he lunged for me! Yes, he reached out for me today. And when I took him, he grabbed me around my head and started gumming my cheek...aw, he's giving me kisses.

That was the sweetest thing ever.

Thadeus was standing in his chair at the table....we asked several times for him to be seated. So Jerime started counting..."Thadeus, you better sit down....ONE, ........., TWO............Alright Thad--you better sit down......THREE......" and then Thad goes, "FOUR..." Okay, that didn't work like it was supposed to and...it was hard not to laugh....I had to turn my head when I was smiling.